25
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Dvaita vs Advaita vs Vishistadvaita vs Shuddhadvaita vs any other
Q. I hear these terms Dvaita, Advaita, Vishistdvaita, Shuddhadvaita, and may be any other XYZdvaita, etc in most of the questions but I am not very sure what do they refer to.
There are six Darshan (...
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What is the validity of Authoritativeness of vedas?
Purva Mimamsa School in it's Purva Mimamsa Sutras gives very logical arguments to prove Eternity of Vedas. Actually these Arguments can also be used against Nastika school who hold Vedas are not ...
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19
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I want scripture-based explanation for "God is Everywhere"
Vedas state "Sarvakhalvidam Brahman" which means "Everything is Brahman." So, everything is Brahman in the absolute level. Chandogya Upanishad states:
सर्वं खल्विदं ब्रह्म तज्जलानि...
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17
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What are all doctrines or philosophies discussed in Brahma Sutra?
Here are the main philosophical schools discussed by Vyasa in the Brahma Sutras (which you can read here:
Vedanta: The Brahma Sutras are the defining text of Vedanta school, so in some sense all the ...
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14
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K.S. Bhagavan's critique of Adi Shankara
In brief, the situation is:
A rationalist has analyzed a text written in C++ into English because both look similar. He has critisized C++ for "bad grammar". Certain extremists are behind his life ...
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Which are the principle texts/scriptures of Advaita Vedanta?
One of the purest Advaitic texts is the Astavakra Samhita. This is the only book that Ramakrishna Paramahamsa kept in his room. Again, it is pure Advaita.
Another is the Pancadasi by Sri Vidyaranya ...
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13
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'Playing football takes us nearer to heaven rather than reading Bhagavad Gita' but how and why?
Swami Vivekananda meant that a strong body can help you have the frame of mind needed to understand things like the Upanishads and Bhagavad Gita, and thus ultimately attain Jnana. Here's the quote in ...
- 97.2k
13
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Who is Ishwar according to Advait Vedanta - Lord Shiva or Vishnu?
Pure Advaita considers forms of God as unreal. Thus it does not matter what name the unreal Ishvara is called.
Shankara considers Isvara or Brahman with attributes as ultimately unreal. He writes in ...
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12
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Why isn't there one Absolute Reality?
Q. In the annals of Sanaatana Dharma why isn't there One Absolute Reality? Every "seer of truth" saw/interpreted the way they saw it.
Absolute Reality is only one but it is expressed differently ...
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12
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What is the mystery of Hari Sankara Stotra composed by Adi Shankara?
Here, is that Stotra composed by Adi-Shankara. It has 11 verses and gives such double meanings that it can be used to praise Lord Shiva and Lord Vishnu at the same time. It goes on praising 10 avatars ...
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12
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How do Dvaitins and Vishistadvaitins interpret this passage of Mahabharata?
You quoted from the Mahabharata this passage of text:
Meanwhile, the righteous-souled Suka, who had entered the
elements, had become their soul and acquired omnipresence,
answered his sire by ...
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How can you roll up space?
The mantra is not talking about rolling the sky, it's just used in analogous comparision:
निष्कलं निष्क्रिय शान्तं निरवद्यं निरञ्जनम् ।
अमृतस्य पर सेतुं दग्धेन्धनमिवानलम् ।। 19
यदा चर्मवदाकाशं ...
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12
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Why did Vedvyasa mention his shishya Jaimini's opinion/saying in Brahma Sutra?
It's because Vyasa and Jaimini were working together. Vyasa and two of his disciples, Jaimini and Kasakritsna, together composed a unified work called the Mimamsa Shastra, designed to analyze the ...
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12
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Why did Adi Sankaracharya compare the color of Ishwara's eyes to that of monkey's nates?
First of all, here is the Chandogya Upanishad verse in question:
tasya yathā kapyāsaṃ puṇḍarīkamevamakṣiṇī
tasyoditi nāma sa eṣa sarvebhyaḥ pāpmabhya udita
udeti ha vai sarvebhyaḥ pāpmabhyo ...
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12
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Why do sanyasa scriptures degrade women?
Sanyas Upanishads were written for male spiritual aspirants and thus talk of women being dangerous to males. Women are allowed to be monks. Just as women are dangerous for men who are spiritual ...
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12
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Can't Shudras read the Bhagavad Gita?
There are no specific restrictions for reading and understanding Bhagavad Gita based on castes, differentiation apart from two cases, where Krishna himself emphasizes on to whom this Gita knowledge ...
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Is Bhagavad Gita text Shruti or Smriti?
According to Prasthanatrayi concept of Vedanta, Bhagavad Gita is considered as Smriti Prashthana.
As presented in forward by T.M.P Mahadevan in English translation of BrahmaSutra Bhasya of Adi ...
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11
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According to ShankarAchArya in Advaita, is the universe "unreal" or "unworthy"?
There is a common popular misconception in People that according to Advaita World doesn't exist at all. It is not true.
When we are deciding reality of things as per Advaita. Then, Advaita itself ...
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11
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What are Vivartavada and Ajatavada?
1. Vivartavada:
Sanskrit word विवर्त means [1] transformation, more precisely [2] apparent form in Vedanta philosophy. Vivartavada means the doctrine of apparent transformation.
According to Adi ...
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How many people have written commentaries on Brahma Sutras?
There are at least 34 commentaries. Let me try to enumerate as many commentaries as I can. Note that I'm only naming one commentary from each commentator, even if they wrote multiple. And for the ...
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10
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Which are the principle texts/scriptures of Advaita Vedanta?
Apart from the works of Adi Sankara Bhagavatpada mentioned by Swami Vishwananda. I would like to say a few words. If you want to know about its philosophy like bird's view, there are many books ...
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Which scripture describes six kalyana gunas (auspicious attributes) of Vishnu?
Vishnu Purana in 6.5.74 states:
"ऐश्वर्यस्य समग्रस्य धर्मस्य यशसरिश्रयः।
ज्ञानवैराग्ययोश्चैव षण्णां भग इतीरणा ।।"
Complete splendor, virtue, glory, opulence, knowledge, dispassion - these ...
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10
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Who was the solar dynasty king who was turned into a spider?
The spider in question is a Shiva Gana named Malyavan.
The Chola dynasty of kings is said to have sprung from the Surya Vamsa, at least according to this Wikipedia page.
The last king to be mentioned ...
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Why is Sankaracharya accused as Pracchana Bauddha (crypto-buddhist) by many Vedantins?
It is very natural that Vaishnavas do not like Sankara's interpretation of Vedanta. You can read my answer to another question here:
Did Shankara reject some doctrines of Atman or Brahman in order to ...
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10
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Why self realization doesn't imply omniscience?
Nice question!
Since you have mentioned 'Advaitavaad' in your question I'm answering from Adi Shankaras Advaita perspective.
Yes, Self realization doesn't imply Omniscience.
It is because in ...
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What are the Vedas technically? How can Upanishads be called Vedas when some parts are neither revelations nor hymns dedicated to any specific deity?
As I've mentioned in my this answer, Though Brahmana, Aranyaka & Upanishads are not hymns heard (or seen) by ancient Rishis in Tapasya, they are considered to be forming the part of Vedas. ...
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10
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Who is Ishwar according to Advait Vedanta - Lord Shiva or Vishnu?
What is Ishwara?
According to Sarva Vedanta Siddhanta Saara Sangraha (You can get Sanskti-Hindi version from Internet Archive).
verses 310-317 Ishvara
॥ १४ ॥ ईश्वरः॥
मायोपहितचैतन्यं साभासं ...
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